Mond über Murnau

For certain artists, their muses are not people, but places. For Münter, this was Murnau. Having trained and worked in the cosmopolitan centres of Paris, Munich, Dusseldorf, and Berlin, it was the small Bavarian town of Murnau am Staffelsee, located at the edge of the Bavarian Alps, that would have the most profound impact on Münter’s artistic practice. It had instantly captivated both her and her then fiancé, Wassily Kandinsky, when they first visited the town in 1908. They were quickly joined by Alexej von Jawlensky and Marianne Werefkin, where the four spent the summer painting together and philosophising over art.

The elements of the peaceful town that so captured Münter’s imagination are all present in Mond über Murnau: the dramatic mountain landscapes, the brightly coloured houses, and its tranquillity. A bright crescent moon in a pink twilight sky infuses the work with a sense of romanticism, enhancing the dream-like quality of the painting. Colour played an important role throughout her art, as can be seen in Mond über Murnau with its vivid, non-naturalistic colour palette, strong outlines and flat planes of colour, which evoke an emotional response from the viewer. The deliberately naïve style was also likely influenced by the local Bavarian folk art, of which Münter herself became a collector.

Münter was so infatuated with Murnau that in 1909, the year following her initial visit, she acquired a home there. Locally, it became known as ‘The Russians’ House’, and it would remain in her possession until the end of her life in 1962. She and Kandinsky would move regularly between this countryside escape and Kandinsky’s residence in the more bustling city of Munich. The couple had met in 1902 at the Phalanx School in Munich, where Kandinsky was Münter’s professor. Their shared passion for art and interest in avant-garde ideals sparked an instant intellectual connection, that quickly became romantic - despite the fact Kandinsky was married. This relationship was formative to both artist’s careers, providing each other with inspiration and fresh ideas and debates. Promising to divorce his wife, who had remained in Russia, the two became engaged, though this would never be brought into fruition through any formal marriage. Their relationship eventually ended in 1916, when Kandinsky secretly married his second wife, Nina Andreievskaya, and he and Münter would never see one another again.

From 1931 onwards, she settled permanently in her home in Murnau. The landscape and her beloved home continued to provide her with inspiration, but also would inadvertently end up playing an important dramatic role under the Third Reich. It was here that she hid her collection of avantgarde art – including important pieces by Kandinsky and other Blauer Reiter artists. Despite several raids, the works were never found and survived both the regime and the war. On her 80th birthday, she donated her entire collection to the Städtische Galerie in the Lenbachhaus in Munich, where they still remain today.